Chapter 92: Tomb of King Ping (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 92: Tomb of King Ping (2)
“You bitch... who the hell are you?”
The middle-aged guard spoke to me, his voice thick with shock.
“My identity? Why don’t you reveal yours first?”
In response to his reaction, I moved like a flash of lightning, grabbing the area below his ear and ripping it away.
The face he had been hiding was finally revealed.
The face hidden beneath the human skin mask was none other than Ghostly Bow Chosa.
“A human skin mask?”
Exclamations of surprise erupted from Gyeongwang and the gisaengs who were watching.
Unlike them, I was more surprised to see that his arm was perfectly intact.
My father-in-law, Moon Evil Sword Sama Chak, had told me about this. He said he had attempted to kill the man after ambushing him and severing his arm, but the bastard had fled with incredible speed using his lightness skill.
—I can’t see anything because of the skirt.
The Lesser Conversation Sword grumbled at me.
Because I had used the Body Transformation Art to disguise myself as the gisaeng Yeon-saeng, I had tucked the Namcheon Iron Sword into a pouch and hidden the Lesser Conversation Sword under my skirt.
More importantly, could a severed arm really regenerate over time? It shouldn't be this perfectly fine otherwise.
As I was wondering about this, the bastard tried to pry my hand off his throat.
In response, I slammed a palm strike into his abdomen.
Thwack!
“Cough!”
Since I had infused the strike with a fair amount of internal power, fresh blood spilled from his mouth as he groaned in pain.
Did he really think I’d let him escape?
Chosa wore an expression of utter disbelief. I couldn't blame him. He probably thought I was just one of Gyeongwang’s gisaengs. To be pushed back like this by a woman with slender wrists—especially when he himself was a superhuman who had broken through the wall—must have been incredibly bewildering.
“Just who are you?”
Even Gyeongwang, who had been watching in shock, asked me out of curiosity.
Since I needed to have a conversation with Ghostly Bow Chosa, I decided I should put Gyeongwang to sleep first.
Snap!
I flicked my fingers, employing a technique from the Transformation Eye Scripture.
Immediately, the gisaengs surrounding and guarding Gyeongwang fell asleep all at once.
Thud! Thud!
I naturally assumed everyone would fall asleep, but...
“What is the meaning of this?”
Gyeongwang, however, did not fall asleep. Instead, he barked at me for putting his personal guards to sleep.
—What? He’s fine?
That’s strange. Gyeongwang had trained in internal energy, but the Transformation Eye Scripture—the final, perfected form of the Transformation Eye Method—is something that even a Peak Realm master would find difficult to endure through sheer willpower alone. It was bizarre that Gyeongwang, whose internal power was only at the level of a first-rate master, could withstand it.
Gyeongwang leaned down, checked the pulses on the gisaengs' necks, and let out a sigh of relief. He seemed glad that I hadn't killed them.
“Why did you put them to sleep?”
“I intended to put Your Highness to sleep as well.”
“What?”
I was curious as to why he hadn't fallen asleep, but this man took priority right now.
Crack, crackle!
The bones in the bastard’s broken wrist twisted as they began to revert to their original state. He possessed a recovery ability that was incomparable to any of the Golden Emperor’s other subordinates. Then again, I suppose he would be at this level after living for over three hundred years.
“Hwaaaaaah!”
Chosa abruptly surged his internal power. Then, he threw a kick toward my neck.
I lightly dodged it by tilting my head back slightly. His kick then shifted trajectory, attempting to strike down at the arm I was using to grip his throat.
I caught his ankle with my left hand.
Grab!
I immediately applied internal power and held his ankle firm. At that moment, he quickly drew the saber from his waist and swung it upward in a single motion, attempting to simultaneously sever my wrist that was trying to break his ankle and the arm holding his neck.
I have no choice, then.
Crunch!
“Gah!”
I snapped his neck with the hand I was holding him with. The strength left his hand, and his saber fell to the floor.
Clang!
For ordinary people, a broken neck would mean instant death, but those who have undergone the procedures for the Golden Imperial Body don't die unless their heads are severed. So, this should be fine, right? He’ll recover soon enough anyway.
“Eek!”
At that moment, County Magistrate No Kang-yeon, who had been watching, turned pale and tried to flee.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Gyeongwang shouted in a rage and tried to pursue him. It was only natural that he’d want to catch the man who had betrayed him.
I made a pulling motion toward County Magistrate No Kang-yeon, who was running toward the exit of the cavern.
“Ugh!”
The man was caught by Void Object Retrieval and forcibly dragged back. I didn't pull him to me; instead, I kindly delivered him right in front of Gyeongwang.
Gyeongwang looked at me with surprised eyes as he saw No Kang-yeon fly through the air and land before him. He then drew the sword from his waist and pointed it at the man’s throat.
“You dare betray this King?”
“Y-Your Highness, please spare me!”
No Kang-yeon prostrated himself on the floor and kowtowed. There was no way Gyeongwang’s anger would subside so easily.
Gyeongwang pressed him.
“Do you wish to live?”
“I-I only did as I was told!”
“As you were told? Who is behind you? Speak this instant!”
Stab!
Gyeongwang thrust his sword into No Kang-yeon’s back. Having been lightly stabbed, the man jumped in shock and screamed frantically.
“I don’t know! I only did what that man over there told me to do! I swear!”
The man he pointed to was Ghostly Bow Chosa. If Chosa had ordered it, the mastermind was undoubtedly the Golden Emperor.
“Your Highness, please spare me!”
“And I actually trusted you!”
Slash!
Gyeongwang swung his sword and beheaded the man who was begging for his life. Without even a chance to scream, No Kang-yeon’s head was separated from his body, and he met his end.
Drenched in the man’s blood, Gyeongwang looked at me with a face full of fury.
“It would have been better if you hadn't killed that fellow.”
The "fellow" Gyeongwang was referring to was Chosa. With his neck broken and lolling to the side, he looked dead to anyone’s eyes.
I replied nonchalantly.
“He’s not dead yet.”
“What?”
Crack, crackle!
As soon as Gyeongwang finished speaking, the sound of bones snapping came from Chosa’s neck. The broken bones realigned themselves and healed on their own. His head, which had been slumped to the side, straightened up, and Chosa’s eyes snapped open.
Opening his eyes, he spoke to me in bewilderment.
“You bitch, just what is your identity? I’ve never heard of a woman like you...”
“Did the King of Qin send you!”
Before Chosa could finish, Gyeongwang cut in and shouted. This was exactly why I had tried to put him to sleep. It seemed I would have to strike his pressure points to knock him out. But first, I’d have to knock Chosa unconscious again...
It was then.
Boom!
Suddenly, a massive repulsive force erupted from Chosa, and I, who had been holding his neck, was pushed back more than eight paces.
—What’s wrong?
‘His internal power suddenly exploded.’
It had surged to more than double its previous level. Looking at him, a black haze was rising from his body. I had seen this ominous energy before.
He hurriedly pulled out an arrow, notched it, and fired at me.
Whoooooosh!
The air was torn apart as a massive arrow hurtled toward me at incredible speed. It was incomparable to the arrows I had seen three hundred years ago. Since the distance was only ten paces, I didn't dodge; instead, I caught the incoming arrow with my bare hand.
Screech!
The internal power loaded into the arrow pushed my body back nearly three paces. Smoke even rose from the friction against my palm due to the arrow’s rotation.
“Yeon-saeng!”
Gyeongwang shouted in alarm as he saw me being pushed back. Does he still think I’m his gisaeng?
But that wasn't the problem. His shout had drawn the bastard’s attention.
Thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip!
Ghostly Bow Chosa pulled out four arrows. He fired three at me in rapid succession and shot the last one at Gyeongwang.
It was an incredible display of rapid-fire skill. There was no way his skills would have remained stagnant over three hundred years.
Swish!
This time, since I had already seen him preparing to shoot, there was no reason I couldn't dodge. However, Gyeongwang could never block that on his own.
I lunged toward Gyeongwang.
‘He’s fast.’
It was difficult to catch up to the speed of the arrow. I manifested sharp killing intent through a sword finger and fired it directly in front of Gyeongwang. The killing intent sliced through the air and narrowly deflected the arrow that was about to pierce him.
However...
Sh-sh-sh-sh!
The three arrows I thought I had dodged curved in mid-air and flew back toward me.
‘Telekinetic Arrow Control?’
Whirrrrr!
The arrows flying from the side aimed to simultaneously pierce my head, waist, and legs. I kicked off the ground and spun my body. I caught two of the arrows and kicked the third one away with a leg technique.
At the same time, I hurled the two captured arrows back at him.
Whish!
Chosa swung his massive bow and easily blocked the returning arrows. The black haze covering his body grew more vivid, and bulging black veins protruded from his face.
In that gap, I stepped in front of Gyeongwang to shield him.
“Do not interfere.”
The bastard’s goal wasn't just whatever was inside that stone wall. Killing Gyeongwang was also his objective.
Ghostly Bow Chosa notched five arrows onto his bowstring at once and spoke.
“To think I’d have to use this power against some unknown bitch who isn't even the successor of the Sword Immortal.”
He spoke as if it were a humiliation and drew the string back. Just by pulling the string, wind pressure erupted, and the black haze gathered at the tips of the arrows.
At that sight, Gyeongwang spoke to me in a trembling voice.
“C-can you block it?”
“This is the Secret Art - Destruction Bow and Arrow, infused with Demonic Aura! Even if the successor of the Sword Immortal himself were here, he couldn't stop it!”
The bastard shouted arrogantly and released the string. The arrows, imbued with the black haze, curved like living snakes and lunged forward with the momentum to pierce through everything.
BOOM! CRACKLE!
The mere flight of the arrows caused the floor and ceiling of the cavern to crack from the wind pressure. Terrified by the immense power, Gyeongwang flinched and curled his body.
I had intended to take it easy, but I have no choice.
“Whew.”
I let out a sigh and reached my hand forward. At that moment, the five arrows that had been flying with the momentum to pierce everything stopped dead in mid-air as if they had hit an invisible wall.
Whirrrrrrr!
The air shimmered from the rotational force of the arrows. Despite possessing such power, the arrows could not advance a single inch further.
“Wha... what is this...”
Ghostly Bow Chosa muttered in disbelief. He seemed horrified that his full-power secret technique had been stopped.
I said to him, “You’ve improved a lot since three hundred years ago.”
‘!!!’
At those words, Chosa’s eyes shook violently. Regardless, I made a clenching motion with my hand.
Crunnnch!
A grotesque sound erupted from the spinning arrows, and soon, all five of them snapped and broke. As the broken arrows fell to the floor, I began walking toward him.
“Damn it!”
Panicked, the bastard pulled out more arrows and fired them at me.
Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!
He fired in rapid succession, as if determined to land at least one hit.
However...
Swish! Clang! Boom!
Every time I lightly waved my hand, the incoming arrows curved away, were deflected, and embedded themselves into the cavern walls, ceiling, and floor. Just looking at the cracks where the arrows were lodged, one could guess how much power he was putting into them.
It’s just that they don't work on me.
“My god...”
Gyeongwang let out a gasp of admiration at the sight. On the other hand, Ghostly Bow Chosa, his face pale with terror, fired arrows like a madman. He was desperate to hit me somehow.
But the more he did, the more clearly I could see the trajectories of the arrows he fired. I realized I could even do something like this.
Flick!
I twisted the trajectory of an incoming arrow. In that instant, the redirected arrow pierced through the bastard’s abdomen at incredible speed.
Thud!
“Gah!”
With his abdomen pierced, the bastard’s form wavered as he was firing. In that split second, I closed the distance instantly and swung his own saber, which I had pulled toward me using Void Object Retrieval.
Both of Chosa’s arms were severed just as he was about to leap backward.
“Aaaaaaaargh!”
I stepped on the chest of the screaming man as he collapsed. Writhing under my foot in agony, he eventually muttered in disbelief.
“You’re the successor of the Sword Immortal? That’s impossible. That person wasn't a woman...”
He seemed bewildered by my female appearance. When he had seen me over three hundred years ago, I had been in the form of a Thousand-Man Commander of the special forces. I could have explained it to clear up the misunderstanding, but there was no need to reveal whether I was a man or a woman. It would be more confusing for him not to know.
I gave a playful smile and, deliberately mimicking Baek Hye-hyang’s habit to taunt him, I licked my lips and said, “What, are you disappointed that I’m a woman?”
“Grrrgh.”
The bastard couldn't contain his rage, looking as if he were consumed by humiliation. Meanwhile, from behind me, I heard Gyeongwang’s voice, tinged with admiration.
“...I think I’m falling for you, Yeon-saeng.”
‘!?’
What the hell is he talking about now?